Every Sunday, RGJ columnist Chris Murray will count down a top-10 list. This week's list counts down the 10 worst No. 1 overall picks in the modern era of the NFL draft (since 1970). Note: Of the 44 No. 1 overall picks since 1970, 26 have become Pro Bowlers, so there are more hits than misses.

1. QB JaMarcus Russell, 2007, Oakland Raiders: Gotta love the Raiders. Russell had obvious talent, but horrible leadership skills and the decision-making skills of a lemming. Not to mention he liked to eat. A lot. Russell, who had a cannon arm, lasted just three NFL seasons. He completed 52.1 percent of his passes, with 18 touchdowns, 23 interceptions and 25 fumbles. All of that for nearly $40 million. Yikes.

2. DT Steve Emtman, 1992, Indianapolis Colts: The unanimous All-American at Washington never panned out in the pros. He stuck in Indianapolis for three seasons, injuries derailing his career. In six NFL seasons, he started just 19 games and had 134 tackles and eight sacks. The 1992 draft was a disaster for the Colts, who also had the second overall pick, drafting LB Quentin Coryatt, who also underwhelmed.

3. QB Tim Couch, 1999, Cleveland Browns: This draft included five quarterbacks selected in the first 12 picks, with epic busts in Couch, Akili Smith and Cade McNown (Donovan McNabb and Daunte Culpepper worked out better). Over five NFL seasons, Couch threw more interceptions (79) than touchdowns (67).

4. DE Walt Patulski, 1972, Buffalo Bills: The last Notre Dame player picked No. 1 overall, Patulski played for Buffalo for just four seasons, with moderate success, before being traded for a second-round draft pick. He lasted just five years in the NFL before suffering a career-ending back injury.

5. DE Courtney Brown, 2000, Cleveland Browns: After blowing it with Couch, the Browns blew it with Brown the following year. Fourteen of the first 19 picks in this draft reached the Pro Bowl. Brown wasn't close. Brown had 69 tackles and 4.5 sacks as a rookie, but recorded just 125 tackles and 14.5 sacks for the remainder of his six-year career. The No. 199 pick in that 2000 draft? Tom Brady.

6. RB Ki-Jana Carter, 1995, Cincinnati Bengals: Hopefully, GMs have learned it's not wise to draft running backs from Penn State. Blair Thomas, Curtis Enis and Carter were all top-five picks who busted. Carter had a litany of injuries. He tore his ACL in his first preseason game, missed his entire rookie season, started just 14 games in the NFL and was limited to 1,144 rushing yards and 20 TDs in his career.

7. LB Tom Cousineau, 1979, Buffalo Bills: Buffalo traded O.J Simpson to the 49ers for the No. 1 pick, a good move considering Simpson's best days were behind him. But Cousineau wasn't much of a prize. He snubbed the Bills for the CFL and upon entering the NFL with the Browns, he had a mediocre career.

8. DE Kenneth Sims, 1982, New England Patriots: The two-time consensus All-American from Texas never lived up to the hype. He had 17 sacks over eight seasons in New England before eventually being released following cocaine possession charges, followed by showing up for camp out of shape.

9. QB David Carr, 2002, Houston Texans: Starting at quarterback from day one for an expansion team isn't easy, as Carr learned. Carr stuck in the league for 11 seasons, but was 23-56 as a starter, with more interceptions (71) than touchdowns (65). He started for five seasons, but never averaged more than a touchdown per game. The Texans should have drafted DE Julius Peppers, the No. 2 pick that year.

10. QB Alex Smith, 2005, San Francisco 49ers: There have been bigger individual busts than Smith, but we have to add the context of who he was picked over: Aaron Rodgers, who might go down as one of the best quarterbacks ever. The 49ers went the safe route by picking Smith, who has become a solid starter after a rocky start to his career, over the mega-talented Rodgers, who also was a hometown talent.